Category: Pakistan

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Legend Comedian Omar Sharif‘s Namaz-e-Janaza will be held today in germany. According to the latest reports that It has been decided to offer funeral prayers in Germany before the body of comedy king Omar Sharif is brought back to Pakistan.  Funeral prayers will be offered this (Monday) afternoon. Friends present there are requested to attend. Apparently return to Pakistan seems possible by Tuesday or Wednesday. After the return flight is finalized, the family will inform the details of the funeral prayers in Pakistan, God willing.

Star comedian Omar Sharif was being transported to the United States by air ambulance for heart treatment. They had to stop in Germany. Omar Sharif was being treated at a German hospital but died the previous day after undergoing kidney dialysis.

Omar Sharif’s death certificate has been issued by the hospital. However, his death certificate could not be issued by the municipality due to Saturday and Sunday holidays. An official death certificate will be issued by the German municipality on Monday, after which Omar Sharif’s body will be brought back to Pakistan. In Pakistan, his funeral prayers will be offered by Mufti Taqi Usmani, while his burial will be in the Abdullah Shah Ghazi Cemetery.

It is pertinent to mention that King of Comedy Umer died in Germany after a prolonged illness on Saturday. He was admitted to a hospital in Germany’s Nuremberg on Wednesday after his health condition deteriorated during his flight to the United State.

 

 

Hunar-Rozgar Mela 2021 provided 1000 job Oppurtunities from National and MNCs enterprises participated the event

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)  The donor funded TVET Sector Support Programme implemented by National Vocational and Technical Training Commission and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) organized the Hunar~Rozgar Mela 2021 in Karachi aimed at showcasing the skill set of Pakistani youth in key economic sectors and providing a platform to the TVET graduates for job seeking. Through this Mela, the TVET Sector Support Programme, which is funded by the European Union, Norwegian and German Governments successfully showcased the skills of training institutes in Sindh that are implementing competency-based training in industry priority economic sectors. These institutes have received assistance from the TVET Sector Support Programme. The ceremony is graced by Provincial Minister of Sindh for Information, Labour and Human resource Mr. Saeed Ghani along with Advisor to Chief Minister on Finance Mr. Syed Ali Shah.

As-many-as 2,500 graduates of TVET Sector Support Programme from 20 different institutes visited recruitment kiosks of 54 national and multinational enterprises for exploring employment opportunity against 1,000 jobs while testing their interview skills in front of more than 100 recruiters in various leading economic sectors of Pakistan.

Speaking at the occasion of closing ceremony of Hunar Rozgar Mela 2021, Mr. Saeed Ghani, Provincial Minister of Sindh for Information, Labour and Human Resource said, “The Hunar Rozgar Mela 2021 is a great initiative and served as a platform to connect hundreds of young jobseekers trained in vocational and technical trades with recruiters and HR professionals from leading enterprises”. He mentioned that the role of programmes like TVET SSP is highly crucial in the socio-economic uplift of the society specially youth.

Consul General of Germany in Karachi, Mr. Holger Ziegeler, said that, “the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) along with its development partners EU and Norway are supporting the reforms in technical education in Pakistan since long. Our efforts are to have as-good vocational and technical training system here as it is in Germany. Today while seeing all these graduates having choice of the employment search as per the same demand-driven aspects of industry is the real showcasing of what we had aimed for.”

First Secretary, Team Leader Governance & Education, European Union Delegation in Pakistan Mr. Sven RUESCH while speaking at the occasion said that the European Union is happy to see the results of TVET Sector Support Programme specially in the area of industry-linkages. “We are supporting the TVET sector reforms in Pakistan since 2011 and are happy to witness the results of our support now. We also hope that the sustainability of this whole initiative remains clearly evident through the GoP’s supported programmes as it is now, Mr. RUESCH said.

This Hunar Rozgar Mela 2021, was conducted to meet employment objectives for over 1,000 openings of private industry, CBT trainees and graduates had their skills shown, notably in key economic areas, and held on-the-spot interviews by the recruitment enterprises of private sector.

Moreover, a panel discussion on the topic ‘Employment for Economic Sustainability and the Role of the Private Sector in TVET’ was conducted. All the panellists put forward their expert opinions on the training and human resource development aspects. The panel discussion ended with closing remarks by the ambassadors and the chief guest.  The Hunar Rozgar Mela 2021 was concluded with the insights from the leading representatives of TVET academia and industry like Head of HR, KIA Lucky Motors, Mr. Ashaar Saeed; Director General Sindh, National Vocational and Technical Training Commission, Ms. Nabila Umar, Chairman, Sindh Technical Education, and Vocational Training Authority, Mr. Saleem Raza Jalbani, Dr. Fatima Khushnud Head of Policy, Research and New Business, Engro Energy Limited and Mr. Olaf Handloegten, Cluster Coordinator, Training and Sustainable Growth for Decent Jobs, GIZ-Pakistan.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiative Asad Umar Wednesday announced relaxation in eight cities with the highest level of COVID vaccination from October 01 (Friday).

“The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has decided to relax restrictions in eight cities- Quetta, Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Gilgit and Skardu,” he said while addressing a virtual press talk along with Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan here after chairing the meeting of NCOC.The minister also announced to impose restrictions on adults not fully vaccinated from Friday.

Asad Umar said the NCOC had set the target of vaccinating at least 40 percent of eligible population (15 years and above) which had been met by the 8 cities where the restrictions were being relaxed.

He said ban on shrines was being lifted that would be opened completely for the vaccinated people only. Similarly, cinema halls are also going to open from the said date and the entry would be linked to showing vaccination certificate.

The dining would continue as per guidelines whereas marriage halls and restaurants are allowed to keep open seven days a week in the 8 cities, however marriage halls and restaurants would remain close at least one day in a week in other cities. Pakistan on Wednesday morning recorded another 52 coronavirus deaths and 1,560 infections, according to the statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

The meeting was chaired by Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar in Islamabad.

Addressing the press conference flanked by SAPM on health Dr Faisal Sultan, NCOC chief Asad Umar said it has been decided to relax restrictions from October 1 (Friday) in eight cities where forty percent population aged fifteen and above has been vaccinated against the COVID-19.

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) As Pakistan’s short video content space grows, Likee, one of the country’s most popular creative video platforms, is leading the way by highlighting national talent that deserves our attention. Talha Talib, who brought honor to Pakistan by finishing in the top 5 at Weightlifting in the Tokyo Olympics 2021, has embraced the application and Likee is ensuring he gets the recognition he has earned. With a partnership that showcases Talha’s achievements, a new hashtag #PKFitnessFreak has been initiated by the national hero on Likee.

Pakistan is a land of evergreen talents with numerous individuals excelling in diverse feats. However, due to a lack of resources and appropriate channels for audiences to witness their skills a lot of these people remain devoid of the limelight. With Likee however, under the patronage of Talha Talib, things are changing rapidly. As the champion promotes himself on the app, an already growing list of creators in getting the motivation they need to make themselves stand out.

Talha Talib has started the #PKFitnessFreak to promote weightlifting, bodybuilding and a general orientation towards health and fitness to get Pakistan’s youth inspired. The youth and bulk of content creators can now look up to him, thanks to Likee, in allowing the world to witness their capabilities in numerous fields.

Commenting on the development, Gibson Yuen, Head of Global Operations at Likeestated; “For a long time, national assets like Talha Talib and the youth of Pakistan in general have longed for appropriate recognition and representation of their capacities at a higher level. Likee, by offering these individuals the support they need, is creating a conducive atmosphere where the door is open for anyone to make a difference. These opportunities are not just for the people but for the country as well to demonstrate to the world what gems this land holds.”

Likee has become one of the fastest growing short video platforms in Pakistan through its creator-centric strategies and the opportunities it offers to these people across the board.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The air ambulance itinerary for the legendary comedian Omer Sharif has been issued. The aircraft, being operated by a German charter airline, would make two-hour stopovers in Germany, Iceland and Canada.

The air ambulance, along with five crew, is expected to land at the Jinnah International Airport on September 26 at 11pm and would leave for Washington on September 27 at 5:30am.

However, the actor’s family members won’t be able to travel with him in the air ambulance. The family will leave for the US on a commercial flight.

Omer was diagnosed with mitral valve regurgitation (a condition in which blood leaks backwards instead of flowing out to the rest of the body) after being admitted to the Aga Khan University Hospital for congestive heart failure.

He will be treated at the George Washington University Hospital by a team of eight specialists, including Cardiologist Syed Tariq Shahab, the husband of actor Reema Khan.

“It’s a new and technically tough procedure which requires a complete team and special equipment that’s why he needs to be here,” Dr Tariq said in a statement on Saturday.

“A bed has been arranged at the George Washington University Hospital for Omer,” he said.

 

Islamabad – (NUT-DESK)

Prime Minister Imran Khan has formally launched Digital Media Development Program (DMDP). Digital Media Development Program, a flagship initiative as per the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan is launched by Digital Media Wing (DMW), Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). DMWP is a multifaceted program that focuses on the development and growth of the Digital Media Industry of Pakistan along with increasing effective networking between the government and the youth of Pakistan.

Speaking at the event, the PM said, “The Pakistani Youth should never underestimate their abilities and set a very high goal for themselves to achieve. You should never give up in the face of failures, and the hurdles are there only to make you stronger. Choose objectives that are bigger than yourself and serve a higher purpose. Further, he said that he is delighted to see this initiative that will involve the youth of Pakistan in furthering Pakistan’s narrative. He stressed the importance of truth and said that those who remain truthful in their life are respected.”

Pakistan’s digital media community is growing rapidly, with over 100 million internet users, 185 million mobile subscriptions, and over 50 million people active on social media. On this occasion, Minister for Information & Broadcasting Fawad Chauhdry said, “The previous governments used the state media to further their party narratives. They did not build the state media institutions for projecting Pakistan’s interests internationally. Imran Khan led government ever since assuming charge has focused on improving the state media to fight the battle of narratives internationally to highlight Pakistan’s role as a responsible state in the comity of nations. ”

DMW has partnered with the world’s leading social media organizations and Digital Media industry experts to give workshops to the interns, including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. With UNDP’s support, the students will also get monthly stipends upon successful completion of tasks.

Regarding UNDP’s support to the internship program, the UNDP Resident Representative Knut Ostby said, “UNDP is pleased to support the government of Pakistan in this effort to equip the youth in relevant digital skills and to provide young women and men with on-the-job training in government offices. This kind of professional exposure will be an essential step to enhance youth’s future career prospects.”

This program aims at bridging the gap between the students, the Government of Pakistan, and the Digital Media industry by training the youth. In the first batch, 100 capable interns have been selected. They will be placed at Federal Ministries and departments for the period of 3 months, where they will get to directly work with the government leadership to enhance their skills.

Dr. Arslan Khalid, Focal Person to PM on Digital Media said, “Quality human resource is the key to success in any field. DMDP is precisely designed to polish the talent of youth without limiting their ability to think and innovate. It’s not just any usual internship program as  candidates selected in it have already gone through series of interviews and only those who will successfully finish all their modules and project will get the completion certificate. We believe this DMDP program will go a long way in giving a fresh direction to Pakistan’s digital media space.”

General Manager, DMW Imran Ghazali said, “the objective of DMDP is to create and mentor a cadre of empowered students and graduates who are equipped with the new-age skills required to operate in the Digital Media Industry and to empower this talented Pakistani youth to work for national and international organizations.” During the internship program, the interns will also be guided to conduct digital media seminars in their respective universities in order to engage the youth of Pakistan. The interns will also work on a project to address issues such as fake news that Pakistan faces in this particular industry.

With DMDP, a more collaborative and agile digital ecosystem will be created, where all stakeholders work towards a common goal of transforming Pakistan’s Digital landscape for the betterment of the country.

 

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Recently, some disciplinary action taken by the IBA, Karachi, has gained attention due to social media coverage. This has led to pressure being applied on the IBA to achieve preferred decisions on committees which are completely independent and neutral.

We would like to inform all those concerned and interested, that the IBA has taken unprecedented decisions and actions in the last few days to ensure that students are safe, their concerns are addressed in a timely manner and any sort of irregularities by them are met with zero tolerance by the IBA administration. In order to keep the values and standards of the IBA at stellar levels, the IBA will not tolerate any disregard towards rules, regulations, ethics, and the code of conduct.

Our disciplinary rules, policies and the IBA code of conduct apply to all: faculty, staff and students, regardless. While some decisions have been made and communicated, other cases are pending with our respected committees, and decisions will be communicated after thorough scrutiny and investigation. The IBA administration will stand firm with the decisions made and formal concerns communicated via official channels will be addressed. Rather than jump to conclusions, the IBA believes that processes should be fair and fully transparent and according to IBA’s policies and all concerned parties and groups should await a final decision.

The IBA, Karachi, has a history of merit, transparency, and diversity. We strive to ensure that the image and integrity of this institution remains unparalleled. Being a public sector institution, we have set standards that other institutions have emulated. During the pandemic, we improvised with changing and challenging times to ensure that our students did not miss their academic sessions or exams, and successfully concluded their graduation on time. The IBA has been a pioneer in improvising the admissions process, classroom delivery, hybrid learning systems and SOP-abiding events, all thanks to a remarkable team and a participatory and inclusive decision-making process.

We continue meeting academic, ethical and administrative standards as times change, and we expect all participants to play a positive part in creating a healthy and inspiring environment for each other at the IBA. 

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) On a visit to K-Electric, Chairman NEPRA Mr. Tauseef H. Farooqi presided over the graduation of Pakistan’s first cohort of certified women electricians. The ceremony was also attended by Mr. Rafique Ahmad Shaikh, Vice Chairman, Mr. Maqsood Anwar Khan, Member, and Ms. Huma Zafar, Consultant CSR from the Authority. This program, launched as a collaboration between K-Electric and Hunar Foundation, focused on enhancing the skillset of these women, empowering them to support their communities and is an extension of K-Electric’s Roshni Baji community ambassador program also launched by Chairman NEPRA in February of this year.

Since their induction in the program 7 months ago, the Roshni Bajis have been engaging at a grassroots level with communities across Malir, Orangi, Surjani and Lyari among others, and have educated over 100,000 households on practices for safe use of electricity inside their homes. With their assistance, almost 7,000 consumers and counting have also been successfully converted to safe, legal electricity connections. This initiative is in line with KE’s vision to partner with communities to uplift and empower residents through access to a strengthened supply of power and job creation, and also follows NEPRA’s CSR vision of “Power with Prosperity”

The certification entailed 8000 man-hours of training and is enabling these women to break gender stereotypes, gain greater financial independence, and create their own space in traditionally male dominated spaces. The training allows them successfully to deploy complete internal wiring on a single-phase supply of up to 5kW from the electric utility’s meters to the distribution board of a home. Additionally, they have been trained to calculate the load and energy consumption of appliances, which can be used to ensure that the electricity supply inside homes is safe and reliable and create awareness on energy conservation practices as well. They also have easier access to communities where homes are predominantly occupied by women during working hours; almost 50% of our daytime users are women.

During this time, the Roshni Bajis have also been trained in self-defense, how to ride and maintain a motorcycle, and how to enhance their communication skills. These tools are empowering women with greater mobility and confidence to take an active part in the workforce and play a role in contributing to the economy. Gender equality is an integral part of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and KE is proudly contributing in the national effort to foster an enabling environment to allow women to thrive on an equal footing as their male counterparts.

Chairman NEPRA Tauseef Farooqi commended the achievement, stating, “It is heartening to see that K-Electric is taking an active interest in inculcating awareness and a sense of community ownership on the tenets of personal and public safety, and also going beyond this to provide women a springboard for their economic empowerment with holistic training. NEPRA’s own CSR vision believes that transforming the socio-economic landscape of Pakistan can begin with an active engagement and development of local communities, and participatory models like what K-Electric is undertaking are a positive step which can drive a lasting behavioral change. It would be a great opportunity to share this knowledge with other Distribution Companies to extend this platform to all of Pakistan.”

Speaking at the occasion, CEO K-Electric Moonis Alvi said, “At K-Electric we believe that the sustainable route to promote societal progress is through the upliftment of women and the provision of better economic opportunities. Diversity and inclusion are cornerstones of our company philosophy and our female grid operating officers and female meter readers are setting a precedent in the national power sector. We are also investing heavily in our communities under our PKR 10 billion Project Sarbulandi with a dual focus on driving a growth in social capital and providing a consistent supply of electricity. The Roshni Baji program and the first cadre of certified female electricians will complement these efforts.”

NEPRA was also given a demonstration of KE’s Geographical Information System (GIS) whereby the company is mapping its complete transmission and distribution network for greater visibility and real-time monitoring. K-Electric’s senior management also apprised the Authority about reasons behind delays in making the first unit (450MW) of KE’s upcoming flagship 900MW power plant BQPS-III operational. The authority, while expressing great concerns, directed KE to expedite the process.

KE management also apprised the Authority on the utility’s plethora of initiatives leveraging technology and driving operational excellence. It was briefed that KE’s upcoming plans to transition towards paperless billing which will reduce the consumption of natural resources and protect the environment through less CO2 emission. NEPRA while appreciating the initiative, termed it in line with the vision of the Authority to transform the power sector of Pakistan.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Health has always been an increasingly important agenda for our government and our President. Recently the President of Pakistan took to his Twitter account and shared an important message, along with an ad film produced by Bionic Films for Khair Khwah.

In Pakistan people usually hide behind a ‘brown bag’, and they avoid conversations that are considered taboo. They either feel too ashamed to discuss such matters or are afraid of what others might think about them. Bionics Films, however, did a terrific job highlighting the importance of starting a conversation about such topics.

The ad campaign launched in July and continues to play an important role when it comes to spreading awareness for family planning and the health of women and children. The President also took notice of the campaign and advocated for the key message behind it.

“Health in my country is closely related to the health of the mother & child. We as a nation must prioritize what is important and manage the family for a prosperous Pakistan. Take care of numbers & ensure good health. Don’t ignore, recognize, discuss, communicate and propagate.” Wrote Dr. Alvi on his Twitter.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited (PMPKL), in collaboration with Entrepreneurship & Youth Development Society (EYDS) and Social Entrepreneurship and Equity Development (SEED) Ventures conducted a cleanup drive at Karachi’s Clifton beach as part of their anti-littering campaign for this year’s World Cleanup Day.

The beach cleanup project aimed to engage volunteers from the general public to help collect trash that accumulates at Seaview beach in Karachi. This trash was then measured, sorted, and sent to recycling centers. In addition to this, the non-recyclable trash will be used by artists, who will create a large sized art piece which once completed will be displayed in a public square to spread awareness on the impact of littering amongst the public.

Andleeb Uroos Ahmed, Head of Communications at PMPKL, speaking at the event, said, “The objective of this drive is to highlight the problem of litter and create awareness about reducing and recycling waste that can lead to a more sustainable environment. PMPKL is dedicated towards restoring the environment through responsible practices and eco-friendly initiatives.”

Shaista Ayesha, Vice President EYDS, said, “SEED Ventures has worked with various public, development, and private sector organizations to carry out such initiatives. This drive conducted in partnership with PMPKL and EYDS is aimed at underlining the importance of cleanliness and waste management and to instill a sense of duty among people towards our environment and our planet.”

EYDS and SEED Ventures collaborate on several initiatives to create transformational change at an individual, community, institutional, and systemic level through ecosystem development and impact investment.

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